Cloth-measuring machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. DARLING.

s CLOTH MBASURING MAGHINE.

No. 564,596. Patented July 28, 1896.

TH: Nonms Evans co.. Puma-umn.. Mmmm-on. n. e:v

(No Model.) '2 lSheets Sheet 2. J DARLING GLOTH MEASURING MACHINE.

Patented July 28,l v1896.

WMM/@Meo UNITED STATES PATENT* OFFICE.

JOHN DARLING, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR` TO LEONIDAS H. CRESS,

AOF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLOTH-MEASURING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,596, dated July 28, 1896. Application med .Tune 28,1895. seria1No.554,352. (No modelo To all whom t may concern: engaging hub or slot, so that the shaft 3 will Be it known that I, JOHN DARLTNG, residnot turn on its axis independently of the base- 5 5 ing at London, in the county of Middlesex, plate l, at least in one direction. The shaft England, have invented certain new and use- 3 passes through a slot in the bottom of casing 5 ful Improvements in Cloth-Measuring Ma- A, which casing is preferably a small metalchines, of which the following is a specificalic box, and inside the casing the shaft 3 is tion, reference being had therein to the acrigidly secured to a disk or flat plate 5, which 6o companying drawings. lies just inside the casing.

This invention relates to measuring de The casing A has a guide-platel, attached 1o vices for measuring cloth and similar mateto the bottom of the casing by four posts O C,

rial in rolls and bolts. and these posts preferably pass through anti- The object of the invention is to produce friction-sheaves D D. The guide-plate B is 65 a measuring device in which a traveling pin slotted in the same direction as the casing A, or bearer follows the surface of the cloth, s0 that the casing may shift with relation to 15 Whether the same be wound in a spiral or an disk 5, Which disk is attached by its shaft 3 oval or other usual form of bolt, and bycomto base l, as has been described. Holes I-l are municating a rotary movement correspondmerely for the attachment of the posts of the 7o ing to the coil will actuate a suitable pointer casing in any usual manner. or register; also to produce'a register in which The casing A carries the transverse shaft zo the oblique movement of a part which travels 6, journaled in suitable bearings, as E E. round a center will effect a corresponding This shaft 6 has a Wheel or disk 7, the edge shift of a rotating driving-pin; also to proof which is in frictional contact with the face 75 portion the driving-surface in its relation to of disk 5. The face of disk 5 or the edge of the register to the travel of the bearer or the wheel 7 may be covered with rubber, or be 25 cloth, whether the same be in a circle, in a finely milled or ground, so as to secure accuheliX, or other coil usual in winding fabric rate frictional engagement no matter where on itself; also to improve measuring and regthe edge of wheel 7 comes in contact with the 8o istering implements in various particulars. fiat face of disk or plate 5.

Figure l is a perspective view of the cloth- VFrom the construction so far described it 3o measuring instrument applied to' a roll of follows that, if the casing Abe rotated about ribbon as usually, wound on a block. Fig. the shaft 3 as acenter of movement, the Wheel 2isalongitudinal vertical section through the 7 will travel along the face of wheel or plate 8 5 entire device. Fig. 3 is a plan of the device 5, and will be put into vrotation .by its fricwith the top plate, dial, and index-gear retional engagement therewith, and the speed 3 5 moved. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan with the supof rotation of this wheel 7 and its rigidly-conporting-base removed. Fig. 5 is a section at nected shaft 6 will depend on the distance of right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a diagram the frictional engagement from the center 3, 9o indicating the relation of driving-gear, with since in traveling a circle near the periphery supports removed. Fig. 7 is a broken plan of plate 5 the wheel 7 goes over alonger track,

4o or diagram of the oblique presser and fricthan it does in a circle near the center, and tion driving-wheel. if the casing A be put in rotation about the The numeral l indicates the base-plate, shaft 3 the speed of rotation of wheel 7 and 95 which is shown to be a disk, but may be of shaft 6 will depend on the position of the casany convenient form, and is provided with Aing relatively to shaft 3.

45 means for holding it to the block or board, The shaft 6 has a worm 8, which engages these means, as shown, being the points or the teeth of apinion 9, and the shaftl() of this claws 2 2, which are driven into the ribbonpinion is supported in bearings in the casing Ioo block. For attachment to a board on which and in bridge F, and said shaft carries a the ribbon is wound in an oval bolt any usual hand or pointer ll, which indicates on dial 5o form of clamping device may be substituted l2 the movement of the gearing with which for the claws. it is'connected. The dial is marked to indi- The base-plate l has a shaft 3 firmly concate by units of length, such as yards, meters, 105 nected thereto, as by a screw-thread, or by an feet, or other linear measures.

It is apparent that them'ovement of the indeX on the dial Will have a certain relation to the distance traveled by wheel 7 on the face of plate 5 when the casing is rotated about shaft 3, and that bythe interposed gear, and especially the number of teeth on pinion 9, the speed of the pointer relatively to the travel of the driving-wheel 7 will be determined.

Other known forms of driving-gear might be substituted for the worm-and-pinion gear described without changing the principle of operation of this device. An index on shaft 6 will comply with the main idea of the invention.

As the movement of the index or pointer depends both on the rotation of casingAwith reference to base 1 and the distance of wheel 7 carried by said casing from the center 3, it remains, in order to utilize the device for rmeasuring a helix or other line departing from a circle, that the casing be simultaneously rotated and shifted with reference to shaft 3.

A slide-piece 15 is guided between the sheaves D, or in their absence between the posts C. An obliqe slot 16 in this slide embraces the shaft 3. The slide can shift lengthwise with reference to the casing, but in' so doing, as its sides bear against the sheaves, the casing is shifted sidewise with reference to shaft 3 by reason of the inclined bearingface of one or the other sides of the slot engaging shaft l3, and consequently the wheel 7 and the point of its contact with plate 5 will be governed by the position of slide 15.

.Slide 15 has a hole 17, through which a needle or bearing-piece 18 is passed, said needle being attached to handle 19. The needle 18 is held against the coiled ribbon or cloth, and by means of the handle 19 is moved along the surface thereof and between the coils. In the instrument shown the needle is moved along constantly-diminishing circles, or, in other words, in the line of a helix, but the direction might be reversed. By traversing the needle 18 around one turn of the coil the casing A will have rotated once about the shaft 3 and the slide 15 will have shifted lengthwise as much as the needle 18 has departed from a true circle. This lengthwise shift of the slide has moved the casing and wheel 7, so that said Wheelhas followed the line of a helix, or whatever line has been pursued by the needle 18, and the movement of the indicator-hand has been proportional.

The Obliquity or incline of the slot 16 with reference to the parallel sides of the slide is afmatter of calculation based on the relation of the diameter to the circumference of a circle, and the hole 17 is at such distance from the ends of the slot as to permit the device to be used with ribbons or rolls of ordinary size, therotation of point 17 about the center 3 determining the movement of the gearing. Hence the incline of the slot in slide 15 is With relation to hole 17 or the needle therein, rather than with the end of the slide.l

It is apparent that the construction of the device may be changed in many particulars without departing from the spirit of this invention. I have described an instrument heretofore made by me and operating satisfactorily. lVith this as a guide, numerous modifications can be readily made.

1. In a cloth-measuring machine, a basepiece provided with means for attachment to a roll or bolt of cloth or the like, a frictionsurface connected to said base-piece, and a casing having a wheel with a shifting relation to said base-piece, and an indicator or registering device carried by the casing, all combined substantially as described.

2. The base-piece for attachment to the roll or bolt, the rotatable casing relatively movable thereto and carrying a wheel having frictional engagement with a friction-piece connected to the base-piece, and an inclined bearing-piece havinga needle in position to engage the cloth in the roll or bolt, the incline of such piece serving to shift the wheel toward or away from the center of the friction-face, all combined substantially as described.

3. In a cloth-measuring apparatus, the combination of the support having means for attachment to the roll or bolt of cloth, the casinghaving a friction-wheel engaging a surface connected to the base-plate, and the slide having straight and inclined surfaces engaging the casing to shift the same, and a bearingpoint to engage the cloth and by following the face thereof serve to shift the easing.v

4. In a cloth-measuring machine,the slotted casing carrying a friction-wheel and registering devices, the slide'having parallel sides engaging projections from the casing, and inclines engaging a shaft about which the cas,- ing rotates, and a fixed base-piece to which said shaft is connected, all combined substantially as described.

5. In aclothmeasuring machine, the basepiece, the shaft and friction-surface connected to said base-piece, thc casing having a slot through which the shaft passes `and h aving a friction-plate within the casing, a wheel engaging said plate, and a slide vwith inclines engaging the shaft, and having a bearing-pin thereon, all combined substantially as described.

6. In a cloth-measuring machine, the casing having a guideway, the slide moving in said guideway, the Xed base, the frictionwheel in the casing engaging a friction-piece connected to the base, and means for rotating the slide-piece about a center, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. i

JOHN DARLING. lVitliesses:

H. RABBITT, A. A. Cox.

roo 

